This invention relates to a base unit for attachment to a traffic channelizing device, using recycled vehicle tires.
Devices used for diverting or directing vehicular traffic, particularly on road construction sites, commonly comprise hollow plastic ballast-filled containers, such as a conical or cylindrical barrels with a weighting means such as sand within the barrel portion, or such containers with sandbags or other ballast means stacked inside or outside, to provide a low centre of gravity or an anchor to ensure that the device remains upright and in its desired location. The barrel portion of such devices is generally constructed of a material having a good resistance to extreme weather conditions, and a resilience so as to maintain the integrity of the devices despite frequent impacts from traffic or during handling, without creating excessive hazards to vehicles. Recent developments in such devices have included the use of the sidewall portion of used truck tires, mounted as a base to a body portion.
Existing devices suffer from the disadvantages of being cumbersome to install, remove or transport to another location. Devices using sand as ballast suffer from the further disadvantage of loss of sand in the event of breakage of the bags or plastic containers. Devices using the sidewalls of large truck tires have the advantage of recycling parts of used tires, but require a large space for the base; such space is frequently not safely available in the situations which require the use of channelizing devices. Existing devices using the sidewalls of truck tires also have the propensity to roll if knocked over, potentially creating a serious hazard to traffic. If increased stability is achieved by stacking several tire sidewalls, the safety requirement that the base be separable from the body portion in high impact is jeopardized.